Traditional Italian Gatto Recipe: Not Your Mom's Mashed Potatoes.

The morning air was chilly and fall like..it brought on a wish for a warm Gatto..One of my favorite dishes ….traditionally from Naples.. the dish was a joint creation of French and Italian hence the name Gatto (Pronounced like the French word for cake- Gateau) but spelled in an Italian way..probably in a dialect of the Neapolitan language….. and it is a creamy potato casserole that bakes in the oven and can come out looking a bit like a fluffy cake…but anyway you describe it is absolutely yummy… makes a great substitute for those (boring) mashed potatoes…once you have had this you may never want to go back to boring mashed potatoes again!
 
Gatto
*2 lbs potatoes baked or boiled, peeled
*1/2 cup milk
*4 tablespoons butter
*3 eggs
*8 ounces provolone cheese
*4 ounces shredded fontina cheese
*4 tablespoons grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
*Handful fresh parsley leaves chopped finely
*!/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
*Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
*Optional pinch of salt
Boil or bake potatoes till cooked, peel and mash while still hot. Add in milk eggs, parmigiana-reggiano, softened butter, black pepper and salt. Blend in food processor till well blended. Add in chopped parsley. Butter baking dish,sprinkle bread crumbs on bottom of dish. Spread thin layer of potato mix on baking dish, cover first with slices of provolone cheese, then shredded fontina. Top with remaining potato mixture, Top with 1 tablespoon grated parmigiana-reggiano cheese. Bake in oven preheated to 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with finely chopped parsley on top.
 
**Join me for  A NIGHT IN TUSCANY on November 8th at Bacco Italian Restaurant at 6:30. The evening will include a 5 course Tuscan style meal with wine pairings, presentation on my book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:DaVinci Style and a book signing. This sumptuous feast will also include a Tuscan Table of Appetizers. Reservations are limited. $79 + taxes and gratuities for this 5 course feast and wine pairing with presentation. Call Bacco at 215-699-3361
** Join me on October 11th for the Upper Bucks Foodie event presented at Sands Chrysler Dodge in Quakertown, Pa at 5:30 -8 PM
**Join me October 19,20,21 for TASTE!  Philadelphia at the Oaks Convention Center. I will be on the Celebrity Chef Stage and doing book signings and samplings at my booth all weekend
*November 10th- Doylestown Library in Doylestown, Pa for Bucks County Book Fest. I will be doing book signings all day

 
Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: DaVinci Style for 100 recipes from the very regions DaVinci traveled to with poetry from Davinci’s prized notebook and stories on his travels to some of Italy’s most delicious places..